Heat exchangers (HXs) come in several form factors from shell and tube (S&T) to plate HX layouts. For marine applications with flowing seawater, HXs preferably transfer heat efficiently, are low-cost, and have a relatively long life span. For some applications, such as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) or liquid natural gas (LNG) regasification, HXs are typically built in a relatively large size to be cost effective.
Two important design factors for seawater HXs are maintenance access and the ability to survive the harsh corrosion environment of seawater. Corrosion in a seawater environment can take many forms, including crevice corrosion, pitting corrosion, and erosion corrosion. Therefore, HX construction that has improved corrosion resistance and maintenance access would be beneficial.